1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved pallet support bar for structural storage racks, and more particularly to such a support bar integrally formed from a single piece of sheet metal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Storage rack systems are well known and widely used for storage of product or machines in multiple tiers for easy access in warehouses, shipping facilities, and even in retail facilities. Such systems are frequently employed for storage of pallets of product and will be refined to herein with reference to pallet storage, although it is understood that such systems are also widely used for other products such as bundles of pipes, stacks of lumber, rolls of carpet, appliances, large containers or boxes and the like.
The most widely used pallet storage rack systems consists of an open frame structure constructed of rolled steel shapes including vertical columns or post with horizontal support beams secured to the posts at different levels and with suitable cross bracing to provide stability to the multi-level frame structure. Pallets are loaded onto the racks and removal therefrom through rectangular openings defined by each adjacent pair of posts and support beams. To enable pallets or loads of different sizes to be stored in the racks, and to assure against a misplaced pallet, i.e., a pallet not sitting on both the front and back support beams, from falling through the rack, pallet supports bars are mounted on and extend between the front and back beams at each tier or level. The pallet support bars are elongated structural members and are usually mounted in pairs between adjacent posts along the length of the rack, with their top surface coplanar with the top surface of the support beams.
The pallet support bars employed in the known pallet storage systems generally have been fabricated from rolled structural steel sections such as structural angles or channels, with mounting brackets joined by welding to each end for bolting to the vertical face or web of the front and rear support beams. Such pallet support bars are heavy and expensive to fabricate.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a pallet support bar for a storage rack system which is lighter in weight, cheaper to manufacture and adds has more load support capacity than the known structural pallet supports bars.
Another object is to provide such a pallet support bar which is integrally formed from a single piece of flat steel stock.
Another object is to provide such a pallet support bar which does not require wielding.
Another object is to provide such a pallet support bar having an integrally formed mounting bracket at each end.